BRIC to expand multipolar world with addition of Turkey

As the US fights with Brazil over Iran, the emerging powers of the BRIC group may be embracing Turkey.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has criticized Brazil's involvement in diplomatic negotiations with Iran and Turkey, stating that the United States and Brazil have serious differences concerning Iran's nuclear program.

This follows the escalating debate over Iran’s nuclear program and the recent Brazil-brokered Iran-Turkey uranium fuel swap deal. This deal is nearly identical to previous proposals put forward by the US and other Western states. The deal is seen by many in the international community as a confidence-building measure moving forward with Iran and its nuclear agenda.

On April 20, US President Barack Obama sent a letter to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula de Silva embracing Brazil’s efforts to seek a deal between Turkey and Iran. However, almost immediately after the deal was reached the Obama administration began to push for new sanctions against Iran.

“Obama not only betrayed himself, but he stepped on the back of two of his closest allies, Brazil and Turkey,” said Pepe Escobar, a journalist in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

While the Obama administration was focused on another round of sanctions against Iran, Brazil and Turkey worked successfully to secure a non-confrontation diplomatic solution.

“Obviously for the Washington elites, they are not happy to see two middle-ranking powers who pose as honest brokers in the Middle East and achieve results. This is what we mean by a new multi-polar world where diplomacy rules and not confrontation,” said Escobar.

The US is dangerously close to losing credibility, said Escobar. Arguing that when the United States attempts to pass a fourth round of sanctions against Iran, Brazil, Turkey Russia and China will rebuke them.

“Leave us some time, let’s see if Iran fulfills the obligations of the Tehran declaration. This means a few months at least and then if Iran breaks the rules that they are accepting than we might consider talking about sanctions again,” said Escobar.

Offering a deal that was widely accepted as the way forward, closing it and then immediately calling for sanctions is not the right way forward.

“This is not diplomacy. This is intimidation,” said Escobar.

The US is snubbing the world’s regional powers, not just Brazil by pressing them to follow the US directly.

“The new counter-power to American unilateral foreign policy is the G20 and the BRIC countries – Brazil, Russia, India and China. And soon they are going to be BRICT because yesterday [Turkish Prime Mininster Recep Tayyip] Erdogan and Lulu were discussing in Brazilian that Turkey soon is going to be the fifth member of the BRIC countries,” said Escobar.